Tanzanian President Says Teen Mothers will not be Allowed Back in School but Can Learn Sewing or Farming

Tanzanian President John Magufuli, during a three day tour of the coast region addressed residents of the Bagamoyo where he accused foreign agents of influencing the civil society organisations to urge the government to permit teen mothers to re-enter the education system.

He stated that allowing the teen mothers back to school is encouraging other teens to engage in pre-marital sex.

He also said the man who impregnates these teen girls should be imprisoned for 30 years and put the energy he used to impregnate the girl into farming while in prison, The East African reports.

President John Magufuli said:

There are many things that the girls can do after delivery; they can join VETA (Vocational Education Training Authority centres) and learn sewing and farming.

If we were to allow the girls back to school, one day we would find all girls in Standard One going home to nurse their babies.

Instead of saying all this garbage! why not work on making arbotion clinics more wide spread cause that’s clearly the consequence you eluding to. Another highlight on the failure of Patriarchy in Africa.

Make contraceptives more available and accessible. Instill family planning. People shouldn’t be having ten children when they can barely take care of one. Men should be held responsible to use protection. This is not just to prevent abortion but other stds/sti. Women should take full control of their bodies and hold their men responsible.
Anyone should be allowed and given the opportunity to go to school at any given time and their own timing. If a teenage mother chooses to go farmwork route or continue school or marry let it be her choice.
And no, Africa don’t need several abortion clinics around. We need more sex education and family planning.

I’m a feminist,happy one,I don’t see why I decide to give birth today and still can’t go back to school or I don’t see why females in Tanzania cannot make mistakes and be given a second chance to pick up her pieces together, mr president I pray you daughter falls into this situation ,then we will see what you will do.#unapologetic #

Why will his daughter falls into the same situation? I support his decision, enough of teenagers getting pregnant here and there, someone suggested up there that they should make abortions clinic available as if they’re living in the US where human live means nothing to the liberals and abortion supporters.

Why should a teenager indulged in pre marital sex especially when she’s sent to school to study for her own bright future, why should young men be allowed to devour teenagers! The men involved should be sentenced to prison as the president suggested and the female teenagers should continue with vocational courses, I see nothing wrong in that. Better still, the Americans/Europeans should take them along with them to the US 8r Europe.
Enough of these people going to other countries to promote immorality and lawlessness. What makes their way of life the norm?

Africa’s leaders are her biggest curse mehn! Rather than encouraging the pregnant girl to go far you’re rather killing her dreams & condemning her baby to poverty. Elsewhere teen mothers have risen to become politicians. Jesus’ mom was an unwed pregnant teen. If she had been condemned there would be no Christianity!

I am surprised at the criticism given that Nigeria constantly bashes single mothers or baby mamas. Is it because he wants the baby fathers put in jail? All of a sudden he is barbaric and from the stone ages. I guess punishing the baby fathers is a no go area.

What is the wife of this stupid man telling him?The stupidity of some leaders do not cease to amaze me! When did pregnancy become a crime that one had to be punished for being pregnant! Why, do women lose their ability to be intelligent when they get pregnant! Who says people don’t deserve a second chance just because they got pregnant, and who got her pregnant, a gorilla! and what happens to the boy who impregnate the girl! Really. I AM SO ANGRY AT THE BOLD STUPIDITY OF THIS GUY AN EXHAUSTED

WTH! I’m not even sure where to start. So she’s condemned to a life of poverty because she got pregnant?
Does this ignoramus know how many teenage mothers have gone on to achieve great things?
I know an SAN, a professor of medicine etc.
why deny a girl her right to school because of what she did with her genitals?
Anyways lemme drink water before I give myself an aneurysm. I’m not even a Tanzanian for crying out loud.

Punish the men fine! A jail term is extreme unless it was paedophilia.
But allow the girl go back to school. Countless studies have shown that children of educated mothers fare better i all aspects.
WHO should come and see o🗣🗣🗣
I’m so pained!!

I’m curious, why would a “girl child” who wants a good education for the betterment of her future, engage in premarital sex? Or worse, premarital sex without protection? Not minding the numerous STDs/STIs that abound. You see, no one seems to care that this President has said 30 years in jail for the men/boys who get these girls pregnant, but you all are screaming murder cos he’s said the girls should stop school. There are always consequences for our actions and inaction. Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Aisha Buhari, Linda Ikeji and I could go on and on… None of these women got pregnant when they were teenagers and you know why? Focus. I think people should educate teenagers on the need to totally abstain from sex, and if for any reason they want to engage in it, for Pete’s sake they should try using protection to avoid such stories.. The President’s argument is legit, if these girls get back to school what message would they be sending to all the “good girls”? Oh, I know. That it sucks to be one… Giving birth to a child isn’t a mistake, getting pregnant when you’re not supposed to be having sex is.. People need to start taking responsibilities for their actions regardless of gender.

The hypocrisy of it all. You are saying Hillary and Michelle did not get pregnant. Do you know that for a fact. They didn’t have babies as teenagers but that could have been because of abortion or contraception. Allow these girls to move on with their life after a baby….they could have an abortion so that hypocrite will praise them for being chaste when they become successful when they actually were not.

@Ethio, The President’s actions aren’t stupid. The stupid ones are the teenage boys and girls who should be focused on their education rather than engage in sexual expeditions. Like I said, we all must be ready to take responsibility for our actions.

@ethio only stupid persons like yourself accuse others of being stupid for stating their opinions without providing an alternate logic or view. The person who wrote the epistle didnt insult anybody.
And let me ask why would a teenage girl who is not old enough to handle the consequences of “sex” engage in it. The same applies to boy. If I had a son who gets a girl pregnant.. He had better go get a job and a house to cater for his family

Listen all you so called “westernized” Africans. Do not misquote Magufuli. What Magufuli said was that in government primary and secondary schools (and not private ones), girls would not be allowed to continue school after they get pregnant. They are free to opt for either private schools or vocational training centers after giving birth. After all, pre-university education in Tanzania is free in all government schools. Those who want to offer such schooling for pregnant girls are free to build their own schools and give such an offer. That is what Magufuli said.